If you want to find a job in the tech industry, attending a coding bootcamp is a great way to start. Bootcamps provide short-term, intensive training that prepares students for careers in web development, app development, or data science in a relatively short time.
Bootcamps allow you to meet other programmers, find mentors, and get help launching your career. Classes are conducted either in-person or live online, and tuition for programs ranges between $8,000 and $15,000.
You can choose between several different focus areas. There are web development bootcamps for beginners that cover front-end, back-end, or full-stack development. There are also programs centered on the skills needed to create mobile or native apps. Data science courses cover data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Some courses require a background in mathematics, while others are designed for beginners.
Most people start with little knowledge and experience when they enroll in bootcamp, but graduates can expect to earn an annual salary of around $66,000 or more. Coding bootcamp is the quickest way to an interesting and well-paying job.
Vancouver Careers for Coding Bootcamp Graduates
The Vancouver economy offers many career opportunities for those with coding training.
High-tech companies with a presence in Vancouver include Hootsuite, Salesforce, Amazon, Microsoft, and Slack. The city is full of many smaller firms that need coders as well. Web developers and data scientists also work in the healthcare and finance industries, both of which are prominent in Vancouver. Moreover, Vancouver is home to numerous app development companies.
Indeed.com lists a variety of jobs and salaries for trained coders. Front-end, back-end developers, and full-stack web developers earn around $80,000 to $90,000 a year. Coders with JavaScript, SQL, and Ruby training earn about $92,000 to $97,000 annually, and Python developers earn around $127,000 to start. Coding bootcamp is worth the effort and expense if you are looking for a data industry job in Vancouver.
In-Person Coding Bootcamps in Vancouver
Three schools are offering in-person coding bootcamps in Vancouver. BrainStation has two coding certificates, one in data science and one in Python. Lighthouse Labs has four in-person courses: Intro to Web Development, ||CPN892||, Front-end Developer Course with JavaScript, and Data Science Bootcamp. Data Science Dojo also runs a five-day Data Science Bootcamp.
Many people like the interactions available in the in-person classes, but traveling to class isn’t always convenient. Four companies offer live online options in Vancouver as well. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, along with Fullstack Academy, Digital Crafts, and Ironhack all offer web development and coding training in a variety of languages.
Virtual Coding Bootcamps
Virtual remote courses run synchronously, meaning in real-time with an instructor you can interact with. You can ask questions and get help, and the instructor can even share your screen with permission. It’s just like an in-person class, without the commute. You can take your course from work or home, without the need to find parking.
Noble Desktop offers many coding training options. The Full-Stack Web Development Certificate teaches students how to create and maintain websites from both ends. The Front-End Web Development Certificate covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Sass, and Git coding. The ||CPN411|| provides all the tools for a career as a Data Scientist. This course covers Python, SQL, machine learning, and automation. The Software Engineering Certificate prepares participants for a career in software engineering or full-stack web development.
Other companies run virtual coding bootcamps available in Vancouver. Fullstack Academy has a LIve Online Coding Bootcamp that lasts from 17-28 weeks. DigitalCrafts offers a full-time, immersive Full Stack training course and a Full Stack Flex program. Ironhack and LearningFuze have coding bootcamps and Coding Dojo offers both a full-time and a part-time online coding class.
Coding Classes in Vancouver
Maybe bootcamp isn’t for you. It’s a big-time commitment and you might not have that much room in your schedule. There are some in-person and virtual coding classes available in Vancouver to learn to code or improve other related skills. Lighthouse Labs has two in-person coding courses available in Vancouver. Intro to Web Development is a six-week class covering front-end web development skills, while Front-end Developer Course With JavaScript covers designing, building, and managing an interactive website with JavaScript. Noble Desktop offers Coding Tips and Tricks, a live online course covering Emmet, Sass, and Visual Studio Code, which developers use to save time. Live online classes run just like in-person training, except you can take them from your office or home and you don’t have to deal with a commute.
Choosing a Coding Bootcamp
Signing up for a bootcamp is a big decision, and it helps to know what you want to accomplish. What are your career goals? What do you already know? How much time can you dedicate to the course? Do you prefer in-person classes or are you comfortable with virtual instruction? How much can you afford to pay and is there any possibility of financial help? Does the course come with one on one mentoring or any assistance finding a job?
Bootcamps are designed to take you from beginner to accomplished coder within a few months. If you are not sure if web development or software engineering is for you, start with a front-end class covering HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These classes are a great way to learn to code and decide if you want to go further. If you are already working as a front-end developer and want to shift to back-end or full-stack, you can find certificate programs that give you what you need to shift careers. Learn to use databases and server-side languages like PHP, Node.js, and Ruby, or tackle the versatile Python. What you study depends upon what you want to do.
It can be a challenge to keep up with a full-time course that meets eight-to-ten hours a day if you are working at the same time. Some of the courses meet six hours a week for 6 weeks and some meet for 16 weeks or more. Some bootcamps begin part-time and work toward full-time as the material becomes more complex. There are many classes available and you should be able to find one that fits your schedule.
Coding courses cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $34-/$42/hour and costs jump significantly for data science certificates and bootcamps, which go for about $105-$123/hour. Intensive Python classes are the most expensive and can run over $150/hour. Check into whether a company offers payment plans, but be careful not to overextend yourself financially.
One advantage of a bootcamp is that it allows you to build a portfolio of assignments that demonstrate your abilities to employers. This can put you ahead of other applicants when it comes to getting a job. Also, some companies offer career advising and job-hunting assistance to students and graduates, so check out those possibilities.